10 Video Game Characters Better Than EVERYONE Expected
5. The Arbiter - Halo 2
Considering how massively anticipated Halo 2 was, many fans weren't thrilled about the fact that the campaign routinely ripped them away from Master Chief and forced them to play as a member of the Covenant Elite instead, The Arbiter.
That Bungie and Microsoft kept this largely under wraps in the lead-up to Halo 2's release didn't help much, and while there was a lot of fan whining about it upon launch, by the time the game's story mode reached its abrupt conclusion, much of the frustration had fizzled away.
To Bungie's credit, they took a major risk here and clearly took said risk seriously, developing The Arbiter as a meaningful and interesting character on the opposite side of the conflict from Chief.
And let's be honest, having Keith David provide his voice sure didn't hurt. Fans then relished seeing him reappear in both Halo 3 and Halo 5, confirming beyond any doubt that he was far more than a lame duck attempt to do something different.